


Always.

by TwilightHayley



Series: NovaHD [AU One-Shots] [1]
Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Elementary School, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, NovaHD - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 18:10:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5258612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightHayley/pseuds/TwilightHayley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James asks Aleks to be his boyfriend, because they’re little kids and that’s what little kids do. </p><p>For some reason, the two never break up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always.

* * *

**Prompt:** Imagine your OTP meet when they are pretty young. Person A asks Person B to be their boyfriend, (because they’re little kids and that’s what little kids do). For whatever reason, the two never break up.

 _Credit to:_ <http://otpprompts.tumblr.com>

* * *

 ~

When the recess bell finally rings, James is one of the first kids out on the playground, desperately wanting to play after an hour of boring maths. He runs over to the usual hang-out spot, Seamus and Sly hot on his heels, and the three wait for the rest of their friendship group to join them.

James soon spots his best friend amongst the other children, and he waves his arms to grab his attention. It works, and Aleks runs over to join him, bringing the rest of their friends with him.

“What are we playing today Jordan?” Seamus asks as he munches his apple, looking at their group leader. Jordan is the popular kid, the one in charge of their group, and James thinks he’s pretty cool.

Not as cool as Aleks though.

“We can’t play yet.” Jordan replies, adjusting the red cap on his head. “We’re eight now, and we have to start being more grown-up.”

James glances at Aleks, who looks bored already.

“We need boyfriends and girlfriends.” Jordan continues, folding his arms. “Just like our parents.”

“That’s dumb.” Aleks scoffs, crossing his arms too. “I don’t wanna be a grown-up.”

James agrees with him, but the rest of their friends start looking around the playground, seeking out potential partners. He panics when he sees Stefani gazing at him, and he quickly grabs Aleks’s hand. If he has to do this, then he wants to be with his best friend.

Aleks looks down at their joined hands but he doesn’t pull away, even though he still looks angry at Jordan’s idea.

“James, you have to choose a girl.” Jordan says bossily.

James shakes his head stubbornly. Jordan may be the leader but he isn’t going to change his mind. “Girls are stupid.” James says defiantly, and he turns his attention back to Aleks. “You’ll be my boyfriend, won’t you Aleks?”

“Sure.” Aleks shrugs. “Can we play now?”

He doesn’t give James the chance to answer, and he pulls him away, leading him over to the swings. James lets him have a turn first, and he pushes him until his arms start to hurt.

Aleks notices his tiredness, and he leaps off of the swing. “Your turn!” He says cheerfully, and James eagerly sits down.

He doesn’t get to swing as high as he wants to; the bell rings again, and the boys start walking to where they need to line up.

James sees Spencer and Joe holding hands, and he copies them, reaching out to grasp Aleks’s hand again. He sees Jordan watching them as they line up, and he leans towards Aleks. “I’ll always be your boyfriend.” He promises, wanting to impress Jordan with how grown-up he is.

Aleks studies him for a moment, and then he presses his lips to James’s cheek.

James blinks, and he can feel his face growing warm.

Aleks also has a blush on his face as he pulls away. “It’s what my stepmom does to my dad.” He mumbles.

“Boys, no talking in line.”

James gulps, not realising that their class teacher is watching them. He looks sheepishly down at the ground, not used to being told off.

“Sorry Mrs Bolton.” Aleks pipes up, and he lifts their entwined hands. “We’re dating now.”

“That’s very sweet Aleksandr.”

James peeks up at his teacher, relieved when he sees her smiling at them. She doesn’t tell them off again, even when they walk into class hand-in-hand, or when Aleks swaps his classroom seat to sit with James at his table.

~O~

Eight years later, James’s elementary friendship group remain as close as ever. They’re sixteen, all in their junior year at high school.

For some reason, James and Aleks are the only ones who never ‘officially’ broke up when they left school. They’d stopped the hand-holding and innocent kisses once they’d become teenagers, but the two are still close friends.

The memory of their juvenile relationship is a comfort to James. What used to be a childish crush is now unrequited love. He longs for a real relationship with Aleks, but he knows his feelings aren’t returned. They aren’t eight years old anymore, and things are a lot different now.

They never talk about their younger days, so James presumes Aleks has forgotten all about their relationship.

Just like he does every day, James walks to Aleks’s locker before lunchtime. The two always meet up there so that they can walk to the cafeteria together, one of the only chances they have to be completely alone with each other.

James feels his heart sink when he rounds the corner and sees Aleks engaged in conversation with Kevin.

He likes Kevin; they have lots of conversations about videos games, and he makes him laugh.

What he _doesn’t_ like about him is the way he looks at Aleks. He knows he has feelings for him, and James does everything in his power to keep the two apart. Kevin is handsome, Aleks is hot, and they’d make a good couple. James will do anything to stop them from getting together, but moments like this are out of his control.

He watches Kevin lean in to whisper something. Aleks doesn’t move away, unfazed by the close proximity.

James wants to turn away, but he is completely paralysed, unable to tear his eyes away from the pair of them.

Suddenly a crowd of rowdy jocks storm the corridor, and one smacks straight into James. He stumbles, managing to right himself, but the books in his arms crash to the floor.

The movement catches Aleks’s attention, but James doesn’t notice, and he drops to his knees to gather his belongings. Papers have spilled out across the tiles, and as he starts to pile them up, another pair of hands help him.

James glances up, surprised when he sees Aleks kneeling opposite him. “Thanks.” He says quietly, accepting the books that Aleks had picked up for him.

“Anytime. Those guys are assholes.” Aleks rises, and James follows, looking around for Kevin. Thankfully, he is nowhere in sight.

“What did Kevin want?” He asks cautiously, trying to sound more like a protective best friend than a jealous, jilted lover.

“He asked me out.” Aleks replies casually, and James tries desperately to mask his pain.

“Good for you.” He manages to say, and he lowers his gaze to the pile of work in his arms, pretending to examine his science textbook.

“I said no. Told him my boyfriend wouldn’t be happy.”

James’s pain deepens. “Boyfriend?” He echoes, still unable to meet his friend’s gaze.

“You, idiot.” Aleks’s voice is fond, and James looks up in disbelief. “Technically, we’re still a couple. You never broke up with me after elementary school.”

“You remember that?” James whispers, stunned. They hadn’t talked about this in years. He’d thought it was a memory Aleks would rather repress.

“Of course I do.” Aleks is watching him carefully, and James struggles to maintain his calm façade. “You said you’d always be my boyfriend.”

James feels his cheeks flush, ruining his composure. “I was a kid.” He says hastily, attempting to downplay his former words. He can’t lose Aleks as a friend over his selfish feelings for him.

Aleks stays quiet, frowning slightly.  

“We should go to the cafeteria.” James continues quickly, more than ready to change the subject. “Everyone’s probably wondering where we are.”

“You go.” Aleks turns away, his words an abrupt dismissal. “I have some studying to do.”

James can only watch him leave helplessly. He stares at his retreating back until he disappears from sight.

“You’re an idiot.”

James jumps, not expecting to hear Jordan behind him. “God damn it.” He curses, whirling around to glare at his friend. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to talk some sense into you.” Jordan says reasonably. “I’m tired of watching you and Aleks suffer.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” James demands, clutching his books closer to his chest in a defensive move. “We’re fine.”

“No, you’re not. Both of you need to pull your heads out of your asses.”

James is shocked by the curse, but he doesn’t get the chance to express it as Jordan quickly continues with his tirade. “I’m sick of watching you dance around each other. When one of you gets asked out, the other mopes and sulks for days. I don’t understand how two people can be so blind.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” James mutters, unconvinced by Jordan’s words. He refuses to get his hopes up; it means too much.

“Aleks has never been with anyone. Just like you.” Jordan tells him, breaking it down even further. “Why do you think that is?”

James’s world spins off-kilter, his head reeling as the force of Jordan’s words suddenly hit him, striking him in the chest. His pulse races, his hands tremble.

“I have to find him.” He blurts out, and he shoves his books into Jordan’s arms. He can’t screw this up again.

He hears Jordan wish him luck, but he doesn’t respond, following the path that Aleks had taken. He knows he’ll find him in the library and he bursts in, the door slamming into the wall.

The school librarian glares at him and James raises his hands in apology, mouthing ‘sorry’. She huffs but doesn’t kick him out, much to his relief.

He finds Aleks at the back of the library, standing in one of the aisles furthest away from the entrance. Fortunately, they are out of sight and out of hearing range of the librarian, and James approaches him slowly.

Aleks doesn’t notice him straight away, engrossed in a book he’d plucked from the shelf.

James decides to be brave, just like his eight year old self had been when he’d taken Aleks’s hand on the playground that day. He hadn’t shown any fear then, and he drew on his younger self’s courage. “We’ve been together for eight years.” He says, breaking the silence.

Aleks starts, nearly dropping his book.

“Our relationship has lasted longer than my parent’s marriage.” James continues, and Aleks eyes him warily, unsure where this conversation is going.

“And in eight years, we’ve never kissed.” The shy forehead and cheek kisses they’d exchanged when they were younger do not count. “Don’t you think that’s wrong?” James takes a bold step towards him, and the book slips out of Aleks’s grasp, hitting the floor. Neither notice.

“Yes.” Aleks whispers. “We should fix that.”

That’s all the encouragement James needs. He closes the gap between them and leans down to kiss him; the first kiss for both of them.

It’s awkward; their noses bump and their lips aren’t aligned properly, but it’s theirs, and it’s perfect. James’s heart is racing as he pulls away, and he beams at Aleks, who giggles softly.

“We’ve been fucking idiots.” Aleks murmurs, his eyes alight with joy, and James laughs, agreeing with him.

He reaches up to cradle his face with his hands, holding his head still so that he can kiss him again. This time, the kiss deepens, and James feels Aleks’s arms encircle him, his hands tugging him closer.

~O~

Jordan is thrilled when he sees James and Aleks walk into Chemistry later that afternoon, hand in hand. It makes him think back to elementary school; the two still have the same flushed complexion and they still steal glances at each other. Only now, eight years later, their lips are swollen from making up for lost time.

James murmurs his thanks to Jordan as they take their seats in front of him, and he just rolls his eyes affectionately. He didn’t really do much.

As their teacher starts the lesson, Jordan sees James take Aleks’s hand again, lacing their fingers together under the table. Aleks shifts his chair closer to his in response, pressing their legs together.

Jordan smiles, making a mental note to tease them in the future for being the only couple he knows that have been together since elementary school.

He does exactly that.

Four years later, at their wedding, in his best man speech.

 


End file.
